hearts

Ignite Day 13 Just One

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Acts 16:11-34
Hebrews 6:9-11
Philippians 1:12-20

Ignite, Day 13

My mama turned to me and asked me if it would all be worth it,
if my story touched just one soul?

I grew up praying for missionaries in my extended family and my church. These missionaries spread around the globe from South America to Africa to Russia, and we prayed for them daily.

I wonder now as an adult….
would they still choose to leave their country,
leave their family and material possessions,
and face trials and persecution if it meant that just one soul was reconciled with God?
I believe all of them would answer “Yes”.

I imagine their “yes” is sometimes said through gritted teeth,
eyes heavy with exhaustion,
and determination tightening their body from head to foot,
regardless of how they might emotionally feel
And sometimes their yes flowed from a heart that danced victoriously.

Their “yes” didn’t come without heartbreak, heartache, or sorrow.
Neither did it come without blessings, laughter, and joy.
But their yes was worth it when
someone said their own “yes” to Jesus.

Following the example of believers like Paul, Silas, the other twelve apostles, and the many men and women who gave up their lives for the sake of the gospel, three men said yes to Jesus, giving up everything to follow wherever He led. Adoniram Judson and Samuel J Mills were two of the first missionaries sent out from the United States, while Hudson Taylor, a contemporary, was one of the most influential missionaries to China.

Adoniram Judson and Samuel J Mills were among the very first class at the very first evangelical seminary in the United States, Andover Theological Seminary in 1810. Together, they helped create the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.

Adoniram, and his young, new wife, Ann, headed to Burma. Shortly before they left, Ann wrote this to a friend:

“I feel willing and expect, if nothing in providence prevents, to spend my days in this world in heathen lands. Yes… I have about come to the determination to give up all my comforts and enjoyments here, sacrifice my affection to relatives and friends, and go where God, in His providence, shall see fit to place me. My determinations are not hasty, or formed without viewing the dangers, trials, and hardships attendant on a missionary life. (…) Now my mind is settled and composed, and is willing to leave the event with God.

While the Judsons were in Burma, Samuel Mills was forming several missionary and benevolent organizations in the United States while also carrying the gospel to Mississippi and New York City. In 1818, Samuel spent time in West Africa, locating a site for the repatriation of freed African-American slaves.
On his return, Samuel died on the ship.
His life seems short by our standards, but it was rich, and the fire in his spirit for spreading the Gospel ignited the flames of countless hearts. The Lord does not count our success by years or tasks completed, but only by our willing obedience to His heart of love!

Like Paul in the Bible and countless other Christ-followers through the ages, Adoniram also spent time in prison, but persecution and suffering did not deter him from obediently pressing into the Lord’s calling on his life. He opened a girls’ school, translated the Bible and other Christian books into Burmese, and faithfully kept following Jesus in His everyday life. Ann passionately worked beside him, using her love for Jesus and writing to encourage American women to pray fervently. She specifically asked women to pray for the rescue of child brides, the end of female infanticide, and other struggles for Burmese women. The Lord used Ann’s gift of writing in one final act before He called her home: helping to release her husband from his 21 months prison sentence by writing about the horrid condition of the prison in which he was contained.

Ann & Adoniram were normal, everyday people who chose, again and again and again, to love Jesus more than the comforts of life for the sake of even just one.

After Ann’s death, Adoniram also buried his second wife and three of their precious, tiny children before marrying his third wife. Like Ann, his second wife, Sarah, willingly held open her hands and life to the Lord. She used her skills as a linguist to continue spreading the Gospel to the Burmese by translating books, hymns, and tracts as well as the New Testament. Sarah fervently worked alongside her missionary-husband, while enduring the pain of losing her children. Her heart was not withheld from sorrow, she knew suffering well, but she knew Jesus was worth it, even for the sake of just one.

Adoniram’s met his third wife, Emily, when he enlisted her writing abilities to write about the life of Sarah. Unbeknownst to him, Emily had read many stories about Ann. As a result, she too felt the call to live missionally in Burma. After they married, she joined him in what would be Adoniram’s final job before entering Heaven: completing an enlarged edition of the Burmese dictionary to ease translation of the Bible.

Just three years after Adoniram’s death, another well-known Christ-follower made his way to a foreign land with one goal: spreading the Gospel.
As a baby, Hudson’s mother, on urgings from the Holy Spirit, had prayed he would be used in China.
China!

Her prayer was answered when he encountered the Holy Spirit one evening, and spent the next several years studying medicine, learning Mandarin, and growing his relationship with the Lord in preparation to move to China in 1853.
After marrying Maria Dryer, the daughter of Chinese missionaries, Hudson Taylor became incredibly ill and returned to England in 1961.
His return did not dampen his fervor, no!
He spent his time translating the Bible into Chinese,
studying to become a midwife,
and recruiting more missionaries!

Adoniram Judson
Ann Judson
Sarah Judson
Emily Judson
Samuel J Mills
Hudson Taylor
Maria Dryer
Seven individuals who chose the “just one” over their own comfort.
Seven individuals who counted the cost of following Jesus, and said yes.
Seven individuals who changed the world for countless souls.

Will you say yes for the sake of just one?!

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Cross Day 3 John The Baptist

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 1:5-25; 39-45
John 1:29-34
Luke 3:1-6
Matthew 3:4-12
Luke 7:18-23

Cross, Day 3

For a moment, I doubted.
I was stuck in a prison cell, jailed for calling out Herod Antipas for his sins.
I did no wrong; in fact, I was doing the will of God.
But was Jesus truly God? Was He the one we had been waiting for?
Was He really who He said He was?

I wondered if it was all worth it…
my being set apart from birth, the preparation, the preaching.
Was it enough?
Enough to justify prison and facing death?

From boyhood, my father told me I was special. I was a gift from God, sent to prepare the way for Jesus the Messiah. He told me the angel, Gabriel, had announced my birth when he and my mother were very old. Gabriel’s announcement came with several specificities:
“…He will be a joy and delight to you,
and many will rejoice because of his birth,
for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.

He is never to take wine or other fermented drink,
and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.
He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.
And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah,
to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient
to the wisdom of the righteous –
to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
(Luke 1:14-17)

As a boy I didn’t know what it all meant, but I listened for the voice of God to lead me; I was so eager to fulfill His calling on my life. To make others ready for the Messiah!! What an honor!

My mother said Jesus was her cousin’s child, my distant relative. She remembers so vividly when I recognized Him, even while we were still unborn in our mothers’ wombs. This child, born after me, would be greater than me or anyone else who ever walked the earth because He was born of God’s Spirit, not from man.

My appointment was to call people to repent of their sins and ready themselves to receive Jesus as their Savior from sin!
I could baptize with water, but Jesus the Christ would baptize with the Holy Spirit!

Instead of following in my father’s footsteps and studying under a rabbi to become a priest, I followed God out to the wilderness. I had no profession other than practicing the discipline of listening to the heart of God and worshipping Him. I had no true home and only the land to live on. I spent years wearing clothes made from camel hair and surviving on just locusts and wild honey. But God was with me, teaching me, preparing me to be an outspoken evangelist. I wasn’t caught up in caring what people thought, what they said, or even how I suffered.

I was singularly focused on my mission
because I spent decades focusing on God alone.

When He told me it was time, I set out from the wilderness toward Israel. As I encountered people, I told them exactly the Lord’s message as He had given it,
“Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!”
This was the fullness of my purpose, and with great zeal I leaned into the work!

People came out of the city to listen to me and be baptized.
Despite my father’s words that I was a special gift, I knew the true gift was what the Lord was doing in me. He prepared my own heart to receive His Salvation.
I was no one.
I was society’s reject.
I preached the unpopular sermon of repentance many prophets before me had declared.
Yet remarkably, I could see God point others beyond myself to One Coming.
The One.

I still remember the day Jesus came to the Jordan River to see me.
His purpose was so intentional.
How my hands shook as He entered the Jordan and our eyes met!
Here was the moment, Jesus was The One, yet I couldn’t help but back up.
He should be baptizing me! I was not worthy to untie His sandals, let alone baptize Him!
“Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness”, Jesus insisted.

Suddenly, everything became clear!
He went under the water like all the others I had baptized, but when He rose up, the skies opened and a white dove descended to rest on Him.

God had told me to look for that sign, for it would signify the Messiah.
What an honor! My heart came alive – truly alive!
Here was confirmation of God fulfilling His promise both to Israel and myself!

I stood motionless, taking in this magnificent occasion.
Arms stretched to heaven, I glorified God the Father as Jesus the Messiah, God in the flesh, stood with me in the river.

His ministry began and I continued to confront sin in peoples’ lives, clearing the path before the Savior of the World.  When it was King Herod whose sin I called out, I was locked up.
Faced with looming execution, the doubts and questions came rapid-fire.

Will Jesus save me from this?
Was I duped, or is He truly the Messiah?
Was my hope misplaced?
Were my efforts for naught?
Was my life wasted?

My life had been surrendered to ministry in Jesus’ Name since before I was born.
I’d experienced incredible moments – proofs – of Jesus having the very nature of God wrapped in humanity’s skin.
Still, I doubted.

I had heard, of course, about His miraculous acts:
the blind see,
the deaf hear,
the lame walk.
None but God could do these things.
Still, there I sat, awaiting death for doing the will of God.
I could not help but ask,
“Are you The One who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

Jesus sent back a response reminding of truths I’d already witnessed and then finished with this, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

The language He had chosen was itself a message as I quickly recalled another prophet’s words, “And He will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense…”
Isaiah foretold how Jesus’ message would be offensive and bring persecution for those who loved Him. But as Jesus now reassured, this message was the one by which all peoples who embraced Him would be blessed.

Persecution would come.
The cost of sacrifice was for all followers.
Was it worth it to be counted among those who were granted eternal life because they were not offended by His grace?
Absolutely!

Jesus’ divine destiny was the undeserved persecution of the cross, enduring the fullness of God’s wrath, in order to take away the sins of the world (every person EVER) if they chose Him. (John 1:12; Acts 10:43)

Just as I have.
And here I rest in confident peace.

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A Note About Cross
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters in Scripture and looked through their eyes as they saw the cross. We do our best to research the culture and times and all biblical support surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives as they watched the crucifixion, but we can’t be 100% accurate. These first-person stories are our best interpretation of how these characters viewed Jesus as He gave Himself up for us. Our hope is that by looking through their eyes, we will see the Cross differently as well, and be dramatically changed as we encounter the Savior!
Enjoy!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

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Incorruptible Day 15 Surprised By Hope

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Read His Words Before Ours!

1 Peter 3:1-7
1 Peter 4:1-12
1 John 4:7-21
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 

Incorruptible, Day 15

“I hate you!” your overly emotional daughter rages, slamming her bedroom door in your face. 

Spiritual swords clash, unheard, but very real, and very loud. 

“I think my husband is cheating on me,” your friend confides, tears of confusion and disbelief falling into her untouched cup of coffee. 

Flaming arrows are flying, unseen, but aimed directly at our hearts. 

In Ephesians 6, Paul clearly tells us we are at war. 

EVERY day is full of epic battles. 

Satan hands us his weaponry:
Anger, fear, frustration, bitterness, and self-righteousness.
He wants us to attack each other instead of fight against him! 

With our enemy in sight, Paul urges us to choose God’s armor, complete with belt, breastplate, helmet, shield, shoes, and sword.  I personally envision a powerful Roman soldier dressed for battle, protected head to toe, armed and ready against any foe. 

Considering how to “stand firm” against the enemy, another word from Paul in Colossians encourages Believers to also prepare in a very different way. 

 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Colossians 3:12-14) 

I picture a woman applying her makeup and carefully selecting her outfit.
She is ordinary, like you and me.
She doesn’t look like a Roman soldier, but she’s just as ready for battle as she cares for her children, interacts with her husband, runs errands, completes tasks at the office, or practices with the worship team. 

In God’s kingdom, 
everything is turned around and upside down
from the world’s perspective. 

As soldiers in God’s army, we are to be characterized by LOVE.
When a disgruntled co-worker complains, again, love responds with kindness, flashing a GENUINE smile or, even better, complimenting him. 
When a rude driver cuts you off, love shows self-control refraining from cursing or flashing a finger.
When your mother-in-law comments negatively about your parenting style, love gently changes the subject, maybe asking the recipe for her delicious apple pie.
When your child wakes up in the middle of the night, scared and screaming, love rocks him back to sleep, joyful you have a baby to hold in your arms.
When a homeless man holds up a cardboard sign, love refuses to make judgments about his situation, but offers him a bag of snacks and hygiene items instead.
When your cousin shares she is transitioning genders, love rejects condemnation, instead inviting her to coffee patiently listening to her story.

Love shares YOUR story of how God’s redemption is transforming your life.
Love ask if you could pray for someone. 

The enemy would have us do battle according to our worldly, fleshly desires.
Our words. Our judgments. Our standards. (1 Peter 4:3) 

God’s Word, however, is consistent, straight forward, and VERY simple.
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8) 

Love.
No “when it’s convenient, comfortable, or easy” clauses.
No exceptions.
No excuses. 

Just as God has loved YOU, love others. (1 John 3:16-18)
Just as God has forgiven YOU, forgive others. (Matthew 6:14-15)
In the same way God has given you second and third and 435th chances, do to others. 

Love.
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT’S THE HARDEST TO DO SO. 

Jesus taught that others would recognize His disciples by our LOVE. (John 13:35)
A deep, genuine love REFLECTING God’s own love. (1 John 4:7-12)
JUST as God loves us, SO we are to love others. 

Love for these…
Hormonal child.
Unfaithful spouse.
Annoying co-worker.
Impatient drivers.
Frustrating family members.
Unfair boss.
Obnoxious neighbor.
Persons of a different sexual orientation.
Persons with a different faith.
Those from a different country. 

We have ALL experienced the love of God without regard to race, gender, ethnicity, economic status, age, or any other earthly label. 

“…but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 
(Romans 5:8)
We are called to live out this SAME love.
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
(1 John 4:11) 

God love is inconvenient, uncomfortable and EXTREMELY costly. 

During His final days on earth, Jesus was arrested, mocked, beaten, and crucified. In the most brutal death possible at the time, He was stretched across rugged timber, hands and feet nailed to the cross. 
He died in love that we might live for love.
With this love, love others. (Ephesians 3:14-21)

Love.
With a new battle plan that doesn’t use the enemy’s weapons.
Instead, plan sneak attacks of forgiveness, ambush with kindness, overwhelm even our enemies with compassion, grace, and mercy. 

Peter’s letter calls us to bravely link arms with those around us, joining forces, allowing LOVE to bind us together, making us strong for battle. 

The world is surprised when we live out love. (1 Peter 4:4)
They notice.
The gospel is preached when we lovingly speak gracefully and truthfully of the extravagant love Jesus generously gives us!

The war is real.
The end of all things is near.
And so Peter calls us to arms, urging us to “maintain constant love for one another.”
Constant.
Because the battle never wains. 

Love.
Because it’s the only weapon that has already won the war. 

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Incorruptible Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Pause 2, Day 3 Treasures Of Wisdom

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Pause 2, Day 3

For I want you to know how greatly I am struggling for you,
for those in Laodicea,
and for all who have not seen me in person.
I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love…
Colossians 2:1-2

This is Paul’s heart, spilled over onto parchment with ink to his brothers and sisters at the church in Colosse and the surrounding areas.
His heart breaks for them, even those he hasn’t met.
Why?
Because he knows Jesus.

Jesus, His treasured riches of wisdom, love, and grace, are boundless.
And Paul’s heart struggles laboriously in love that those who read his words might know the Savior as he does.

Community is the life-breath of the early church, its pulse beating steadily all throughout Scripture and into our churches today as we span the globe for the gospel.
Sisters, let Paul’s burdened heart burden you today as you read his Spirit-breathed words in Colossians 2.
Lean in to your biblical community and ask the Lord to give your heart a weighty burden for others that they too might know and experience the treasured wisdom of Jesus Christ!

Today's Challenge

1) Be a scribe and copy the precious words of Scripture down word for word. Make space in your journal to write down all of Colossians 2 today. And as you copy, lookup a cross reference or two as you come to them (they are the small letters next to certain words in your study Bible or online at www.biblia.com). As you write, think of the incredible gift it is to be invited into God’s presence through His word!

2) Choose one of these options to answer the invitation of going deeper into biblical community! 
a) Take a photo of your journal time this week and share it, or share a quote from it.
b) Do a Facebook Live on the GT Community group and share how God has been working in you.
c) Leave a comment here about it.
d) Share something God has been showing you in a comment at the GT Community Group 
e) Plan a coffee or lunch date with a friend and share what you’ve been learning and soaking in as you have hit Pause.
f) Write a note of encouragement to a sister who has been through the nitty-gritty of real life with you. Let her know how deeply she has impacted your walk with Christ.
g) For some of us, having a “2am friend” to build biblical community with is a new concept. If that’s you, this is an exciting, fresh place to be! Connect with our Facebook Community, send us an email, reach out to your local church body, seek out a small group and plug in! 

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Colossians 2

For I want you to know how greatly I am struggling for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me in person. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery—Christ. 3 In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with arguments that sound reasonable. 5 For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see how well ordered you are and the strength of your faith in Christ.

6 So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.

8 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ.9 For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, 10 and you have been filled by him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. 11 You were also circumcised in him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, 12 when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. 14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.

16 Therefore, don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is Christ. 18 Let no one condemn you by delighting in ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm. Such people are inflated by empty notions of their unspiritual mind. 19 He doesn’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with growth from God.

20 If you died with Christ to the elements of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations: 21 “Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch”? 22 All these regulations refer to what is destined to perish by being used up; they are human commands and doctrines. 23 Although these have a reputation for wisdom by promoting self-made religion, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.

How Does “Pause” Work?
1. Each day, Monday through Friday, for 2 weeks, we will provide you with a simple challenge. Each challenge is designed for you to engage with the Almighty in a deeper way and perhaps in a new way than you have been recently.

2. Having a journal is a must! You’ll want to take notes as you walk this special Journey of Pause.

3. Each week focuses on one or two passage of Scripture and we walk with you as you study and flesh these out for yourself. As you write your thoughts, read His Word, and pray, questions might come up. That’s Perfect! Ask a trusted fellow believer, a pastor, or send us an email as you work through them!

4. Jumping in at the middle? No problem! Here is the entire Journey Theme.

5. Connect with others on Facebook by visiting our GT Community Group!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Pause 2 Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme? Here’s a link to all past studies
in Pause 2!

Safe Day 10
That You May Know

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Read His Words Before Ours!

I John 3Attachment-1 (1)
2 Peter 1
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
I Peter 1

I love shocking our kids with our vast amount of life experience knowledge. Our son sat down to dinner one night and then suddenly made a face as he quipped to his sister in that just-between-you-and-me-secret way, “Oh no, I forgot my “sitting thing”.
Chris and I just looked at each other and smirked as he said, “You mean a whoopee cushion?”
“What?! How did you know?” our son questioned in disbelief.
“You forget that I was a boy once too,” he laughingly quipped.

There are some things we know because we’ve been told and we believe the source and can study the evidence, like history. Then there are things we know because we’ve lived it and the reality of it is so embedded in us that we simply can’t deny it.

When it comes to knowing the future, there’s simply nothing that we can know as solidly as the past. What’s done is done, but what will come….well, we can only make our best guesses, except for maybe death and taxes. 🙂

But like in everything else, Jesus offers us more.
More depth, more knowing, and infused in it all, more hope.

If anyone could claim to have known Jesus best while He was on the earth, it would have been John. He was even known as the disciple whom Jesus loved. The letter of I John opens with a poetic and persuasive picture of John’s experience:

        That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you. I John 1:1-3

John had truly experienced Jesus. He saw Him preach, heal, love, get angry, be tired and hungry, and after 3 years of walking with the Light of the World, John declares with absolute confidence that “whoever has the Son has eternal life; whoever does not have the Son of God, does not have eternal life.” I John 5:12

John’s life, career, relationships, and the trajectory of his every day were drastically altered by his hands-on experience with the Savior of the world and he pleads with us to know Christ with the same kind of intimacy. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. I John 5:13

John claims over and over in his letters that we can absolutely, most assuredly know that our eternity is safe, but he also makes it clear that not everyone will inherit it. John prods us to ask ourselves if our salvation is genuine.  Nowhere in the entire Bible do we find that “praying a prayer”, “walking the aisle”, “filling out a card”, or “attending a class” is the process of salvation. In fact, it’s entirely possible for people to “think” they have Christ, but indeed not have His inheritance at all.

Laying hold of salvation isn’t a matter of checking off a box, but radically being remade. It’s seeing your sin, seeing how unholy you are before a perfect God, and realizing you have no way to bridge that gap unless by complete trust in the righteous sacrifice of Christ given on your behalf. It’s recognizing that there is no life apart from Jesus and surrendering yourself entirely to Him.

Salvation isn’t a mental activity, but a heart choice that transforms your everything.

Just as the law of gravity says that what goes up, must come down, the law of love says that you cannot go unchanged after encountering it. Genuine love changes our hearts; it’s impossible to continue with the same heart and mind once you have authentically received Christ’s love. John cautions us, Matthew warns us, and Peter begs us, check your heart for radical transformation.

How can we know? John ties it all together for us with another solid assurance, 19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. I John 3:19-24

If you could pull up a chair with John, sip a hot mocha with him, look him square in the eyes and ask, “John, how can I know for sure that my eternity is secure?” His answer would be 2-fold, just like the verses above. He would say you can know that you belong to the Truth and have complete confidence before the righteous God of the universe if you follow His commandment to 1) believe (genuinely and authentically with your heart) in the saving Name of Jesus Christ as atonement for your sins and 2) love one another. “All of this”, John would beckon with a wide smile and eyes fiery with passion, “is made possible by the Holy Spirit of God, whom has been given to us by God Himself.”

Salvation isn’t possible without God.
Loving others transformatively isn’t possible without God.
But all is ours through Jesus and made secure by His righteousness.
The proof is evidenced by the living and breathing of the Holy Spirit working out love in our everyday lives.

Can we know for sure that our eternity is secure? For Certain, beyond a doubt.
How are our souls kept safe? By the Holy God.
Not by our ability to obey, not even by our ability to love well, but by the gracious, good, all-powerful God whose Spirit lives and moves and breathes in us.

It’s the Spirit’s presence that seals us. Ephesians 1:13-14
Christ who continually transforms us. Colossians 1:21-23
And God the Father who stands guard over us, keeping us safe until that glorious day when we finally are welcomed home for eternity. I Peter 1:3-5
As we lean into Him, He transforms us with His beautiful fullness, meeting us right in the middle of our everyday lives and calling us ever deeper into more.

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